Brighton and Hove Albion star Rohan Ince found not guilty of battering a club bouncer with a Jack Daniel’s bottle

The midfield ace, 24, was accused of attacking a doorman outside a Windsor nightclub in the early hours of Christmas Day

by sam christie

15th February 2017,2:47 pm

Updated: 15th February 2017,3:31 pm

FOOTIE star Rohan Ince has been cleared by a jury of hitting a bouncer with a Jack Daniel’s bottle.

The 24-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder was found not guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm outside Atik nightclub in Windsor in the early hours of Christmas Day, 2015.

PADDY'S DAY PIC

HELI JOINS HUNT

IRN SEE-THRU

Scots gran left in a fizz after her glass bottle of Irn-Bru turns clear

URN-BELIEVABLE

Furious daughter hands DWP mum's ashes to prove she isn't fit to work

Jurors were told Mr Jurcic’s blood was found on a distinctive green bomber jacket Ince was wearing that night.

But in evidence read to the court, forensic expert Helen Davies cast doubt on whether the stain was caused during the attack or afterwards.

In a statement, she said: “In my opinion I would not expect a transfer of Gregor Jurcic’s blood on to Rohan Ince’s jacket as a result of hitting Mr Jurcic over the head with a bottle from behind, as alleged.”

Instead it could have got there when Mr Jurcic – by then bleeding heavily – approached Ince as he was being restrained on the ground by a police officer and another doorman.

Ms Davies said: “In my opinion, although I would not expect a transfer of Gregor Jurcic’s blood on to Rohan Ince’s jacket as a result of the original incident, a transfer of blood is within my expectations given that Gregor Jurcic returned to Rohan Ince while he was bleeding heavily.

“In my opinion the findings in relation to the blood pattern do not assist in addressing the issue of whether or not Rohan Ince was involved in assaulting Gregor Jurcic.”

Neither Ince nor his brother, with whom he was out on the night in question, were called to give evidence.

But in police interviews played and read to the court, Ince said he was “gobsmacked” at being arrested.

He told officers that after leaving the club some time after 3am he went to help his brother, who was being repeatedly punched by another man during a confrontation in the street nearby.

After punching his brother’s assailant Ince said he himself was attacked, and after the fracas escalated near the club, he tripped while running away and was then “mounted” by a police officer and a doorman.

Ince, of Ashford, Middlesex, said in an interview: “I didn’t touch a bottle in that whole period of time, let alone attack someone. I think they misidentified me.”

He said he was mistakenly identified by another bouncer simply because he was tall and wearing a green jacket, and so stood out.

He said: “I can’t stress enough how I did not attack a bouncer. I would never feel a reason to bottle anyone anywhere, let alone a bouncer who is trying to protect everyone.”

The court also heard that no fingerprints were found on the fragments of a Jack Daniel’s bottle recovered at the scene.

And “potentially very significant” CCTV footage that was likely to have been captured by a nearby camera was never available as police “dropped a clanger” in failing to access it before it was erased, the court heard.